


Seeking

by BiffElderberry



Category: Original Work
Genre: Angst, Dragon POV - Freeform, Dragon Riders, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-24
Updated: 2019-10-24
Packaged: 2021-01-02 04:07:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,170
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21155354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BiffElderberry/pseuds/BiffElderberry
Summary: Imbur soared through the air. The sun warmed his scales as he flew, the cold wind whistling around him. It was a perfect day for flying, just the kind Imbur had always loved.But the trip brought him no joy now. He wasn't flying for fun or on some heroic quest. No, this was personal. He had no orders, no rider, no direction. Just an instinctual urge, a deep yearning, that had made him take to the skies.





	Seeking

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Miaou Jones (miaoujones)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/miaoujones/gifts).

Imbur soared through the air. The sun warmed his scales as he flew, the cold wind whistling around him. It was a perfect day for flying, just the kind Imbur had always loved.

But the trip brought him no joy now. He wasn't flying for fun or on some heroic quest. No, this was personal. He had no orders, no rider, no direction. Just an instinctual urge, a deep yearning, that had made him take to the skies. 

Imbur spotted a small town below him. It was the kind of town he would have ignored, barely more than a community of farmers, but there was something about it. A distant memory tugged at his brain, dragging him down.

He landed in a field. He remembered this place. Garem, his rider, had talked often of it on their trips. A town called Waterford, and a woman he had met there. Imbur had huffed smoke when his rider reminisced. Humans always spoke fondly of past mates, Imbur had learned, even when the past mates weren't as perfect as they remembered them.

Perhaps Garem was here, Imbur thought. It would make sense, after all, Humans often returned to places they had once loved when injured or stressed. Besides, he had felt drawn here. Surely it was Garem pulling him to this place. 

He waited patiently. Garem would have seen his descent, heard the sound of his mighty wings beating like thunder. He would be along any minute. 

He waited. And waited. And waited.

The day stretched into the evening. The last vestiges of sunlight streaked the sky orange like flames. But Imbur took no joy in the color. Garem had not come. 

Imbur raised his head and roared. 

"Holy fuck," Someone gasped. Imbur turned, surprised by the voice. A young man approached. He was obviously the farmer of the field he was in.

"Are you alright?" the man asked, looking at Imbur. 

Imbur ducked his head. He could speak the tongue of man, but he had not in many years. Why should he? Garem had understood his every thought, and no other human could interest him enough to bother. 

But there was something about the young man that made Imbur trust him. Something about his face, that just spoke to him.

"I'm Asef," the man said, slowly approaching the dragon his hands outstretched in a sign of peace. He seemed to gain nerve as Imbur did not immediately torch him. "Are you lost? We've never had a dragon in this town before." 

Imbur sunk into the feeling as Asef rubbed a hand over his snout. It had been too long since he had been comforted by a human. He had carried too much grief and stress with him on the flight. 

"It's late," Asef said, still absently stroking the dragon's snout. "And there is a storm coming. You can sleep in the barn if you would like." 

Imbur thought about it for a minute. Obviously, Garem was not in Waterford. He should take to the skies and continue his search. But rest did sound good. And there was something about Asef that drew him in. 

And so Imbur let Asef lead him into the barn to sleep for the night. 

\----

The storm raged through the night. The wind howled, whistling through the trees. The barn, however, was well built and Imbur stayed warm and dry through it all. He even managed a little sleep, feeling the safest he had since he had lost track of Garem on the battlefield. There was something about this place- perhaps residual feelings of Garem's own affection for the town - that soothed Imbur.

He padded out of the barn in the morning as the first rays of dawn streaked across the town. 

"Morning," Asef greeted. Exiting the small cottage. "Was the barn dry enough for you?" 

Imbur looked at him, willing the man to know the answer. It was fruitless of course. Only his rider would be able to know his mind so well. But Asef smiled and nodded anyway. As if he had caught just a glimpse of the dragon's thoughts. 

"I'm going into town today for supplies," Asef said, "You're welcome to come with me if you would like. Though I know you must be busy." 

Imbur hummed, the noise rumbling deep in his chest. He supposed he should return to his quest. But perhaps Garem was in the town? He turned to stare at the distant cottages. Maybe his rider was injured and hadn't been able to come out to see him. It was worth a check he decided. 

Imbur found the walk to town to be tiresome. Not because of the distance, no, he had gone much farther in a single day before. But walking there seemed like such a waste of time. He contemplated picking up Asef and flying him to the town, but humans sometimes had such strange reactions to being flown. It wasn't worth the risk.

Besides, Asef seemed to like the walk. The man chatted idly about the people of the village, the animals in the forest, the crops on the vine. It was soothing, simple, vivid. Imbur felt that he could almost taste the food, hear the laughter, feel the textures of the things Asef described. Almost like he was remembering them himself. 

As they drew closer to the town square Imbur saw something. A recognizable figure standing in the middle. Every step brought the man into sharper focus. Imbur's heart hammered faster in his chest. It was Garem he was sure of it. 

He squawked, not unlike a bird, but he cared not. He had found him! He launched himself forward, clumsily racing with both wings and feet to reach the man.

A sharp spike of disappointment hit him as he came to a stop. It wasn't Garem that stood before him, but a statue. It was cast bronze, a near-perfect likeness of his rider, his sword held aloft. 

"That's Garem," Asef said, catching up. "Did you know him?" 

_ Better than anyone else ever could,  _ Imbur thought, not caring if Asef knew the response. It didn't matter. He hadn't found his rider. Garem could still be anywhere. 

"He came to Waterford years ago," Asef said. "There was a gang of bandits that had been terrorizing the town. He dispatched them singlehandedly. That was before he became a rider." Asef sighed.

"The town always loved him," he continued. "The locals all tell their stories of him every Friday at the pub. I grew up on the stories. They were always so nice like I almost got to know him in person."

"They say he's my father," Asef said. 

Imbur snorted in surprise. Garem had never mentioned having a son. But that would explain so much- why he trusted Asef so instinctually. He reminded him of Garem. 

"I have to find him," Imbur said, his voice gravelly from disuse. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth as he formed the human words. "He is my rider. Will you help me?" 


End file.
